Sports
6A
Saturday, June 5, 2021
Th e Observer
EOU sits 27th in Learfi eld IMG College Directors’ Cup standings
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity’s 2020-21 fall and
winter sports programs
currently sit 27th overall
in the Learfi eld IMG Col-
lege Directors’ Cup for the
NAIA, according to a press
release.
The Mountaineers, who
have a total of 280.5 points,
are the second highest
ranked team out of the Cas-
cade Collegiate Conference
behind Lewis-Clark State
College (Idaho) at 16th.
In the fall portion of the
standings, the Mountain-
eers racked up 141.5 points
overall between the two
postseason sports of wom-
en’s soccer and volleyball.
Women’s soccer garnered
68.5 points en route to fi n-
ishing ninth in the Learfi eld
Cup standings, while vol-
leyball led the way with 73
points and ranked fi fth.
For the winter por-
Samantha Flett/Eastern Oregon University Athletics, File
The Eastern Oregon University volleyball team celebrates April 3,
2021, in La Grande after defeating Lewis-Clark State College to win
the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship.
tion of the Learfi eld Cup
standings, the Mountain-
eers earned 139 points
total between three sports.
The track and fi eld pro-
gram for the indoor season
had 83 combined points.
The men led the way with
48.5 points, while the
women secured 34.5 points.
Making up the fi nal 56
points for the Mountaineers
in the winter was men’s
wrestling, which fi nished
18th in the standings.
The fi nal release of the
NAIA Learfi eld IMG Col-
lege Directors’ Cup stand-
ings will come out July
2 and will include spring
sports. The Learfi eld IMG
College Directors’ Cup was
developed as a joint eff ort
between the National Asso-
ciation of Collegiate Direc-
tors of Athletics and USA
Today. Points are awarded
based on each institu-
tion’s fi nish in the NAIA
Championships.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
SB5 clears
hurdle
Maggie Ledbetter
has eyes set on
school records,
national
championships
Bill would allow
college athletes to
be compensated for
name, likeness
By JAMES CREPEA
The Oregonian
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
L
A GRANDE — Eastern
Oregon University track
and fi eld thrower Maggie
Ledbetter took the title in
two events at the Cascade Colle-
giate Conference Outdoor Cham-
pionships, but that wasn’t the end
of her success this season.
In a diffi cult year for all stu-
dent-athletes due to COVID-19,
Ledbetter concluded her season
with national honors in two events.
The Cove native who was a three-
time state champion at Cove High
School scored eighth in the shot
put (45 feet, 2-1/4 inches) and fi n-
ished seventh in discus (145-6) to
be named All-American in both
events.
Ledbetter qualifi ed and com-
peted in all three throwing
events at nationals, with hammer
throw being the fi rst event of the
weekend. She placed 21st in the
event.
“I was just trying to use
hammer to get my kinks out for
shot and discus,” Ledbetter said.
“For shot put I knew I had to
(throw a) personal record to make
fi nals but I really wanted to get
All-American.”
Shot put presented a bigger
challenge as Ledbetter faced a dif-
fi cult fi eld of competitors from
across the country.
Ledbetter started off with a 44
feet, 3/4 inch throw and scratched
on her second throw. It was on her
third attempt that she scored high
enough to place in the top eight
and earn All-American honors.
Ledbetter’s 45 feet, 2-1/4 inch
toss sets her at second all time
in the EOU outdoor track record
book behind only April Haney,
who set the overall record in 2001.
However, Ledbetter holds the
indoor track record with a mark of
47-5.
NAIA COVID-19 eligibility
rules allow her to compete in
See, Business/Page 7A
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Maggie Ledbetter stands on the throwing area at Banner Bank Track at Eastern Oregon University Wednesday, June 2, 2021,
following her success at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships Thursday, May 27, and Friday, May 28, 2021, in Alabama.
Ledbetter, a graduate of Cove High School, became the fi rst Mountaineer in EOU women’s track and fi eld program history to
earn All-American honors in the discus.
SALEM — The state
Senate passed the pro-
posed legislation to permit
college athletes in Oregon
to be compensated for their
name, image and likeness
starting July 1 and the leg-
islation now heads to the
House.
Senate Bill 5, which
also would allow col-
lege athletes in Oregon
to retain representation
related to name, image and
likeness opportunities,
passed the Senate 23-6
with one member excused
Thursday, July 3. Sena-
tors Lynn Findley, Fred
Girod, Bill Hansell, Dallas
Heard, Dennis Linthicum
and Kim Thatcher, all
Republicans, were the dis-
senting votes and Sen. Bill
Kennemer, R-Canby, was
excused.
“This isn’t just a bill,
this is a movement,” Sen.
Peter Courtney, D-Salem,
a co-sponsor of the bill,
said in a statement. “Our
college athletes have not
been treated fairly. They
sacrifi ce their bodies week
after week but don’t even
earn enough to send their
mother a birthday present.
Meanwhile, the NCAA and
universities make millions
off the names, images, and
likenesses of their athletes.
This bill is about giving
back to our athletes what is
rightfully theirs.”
If the House passes it as
well, the bill will go into
eff ect immediately, with
Oregon college athletes
able to earn NIL com-
pensation beginning July
1, the same day similar
laws are to go into eff ect
in fi ve other states: Ala-
bama, Florida, Georgia,
See, Bill/Page 7A
SPORTS SHORT
Nuggets bounce Portland from playoff s
By ANNE M. PETERSON
The Associated Press
PORTLAND — The Denver
Nuggets were undaunted, even
when down 14 points in the third
quarter and facing an antago-
nistic Portland crowd.
Nikola Jokic had 36 points
and the Nuggets eliminated the
Portland Trail Blazers in six
games with a 126-115 victory
Thursday, June 3.
“Nobody can take the fi ght
out of us,” Jokic said. “We will
just go out there and fi ght and
that’s what we have been doing.
We’re never going to quit. Quit
is not in our vocabulary.”
Michael Porter Jr. added
26 points, including 22 in the
opening quarter, for the third-
seeded Nuggets. Denver will
take on Phoenix, which elimi-
nated the Los Angeles Lakers in
Game 6, 113-100. Game 1 in the
series is Monday in Phoenix.
Denver advanced to the
Western Conference semifi nals
for the third straight season.
Damian Lillard fi nished with
28 points and 13 assists for the
sixth-seeded Blazers. They
led by 14 points in the third
quarter but couldn’t stave off
elimination.
Monte Morris hit a buzz-
er-beating 3-pointer to close
Denver to 101-98 heading
into the last period. Jokic
hit a 3-pointer to put Denver
ahead 108-106 and the Nuggets
stretched it to 117-108 on Austin
Rivers’ 3 with 3:52 left.
Portland tried to catch up,
pulling to 121-115 on CJ McCo-
llum’s layup, but Aaron Gordon
hit a corner 3-pointer that all but
sealed it for Denver with less
than a minute to go.
“I think the key was when
they were going on runs and we
weren’t playing our best every
huddle was positive, staying
engaged, demanding guys to
be better, but staying together,”
Denver coach Michael Malone
said. “I think we’ve shown as
a group that every time we hit
adversity, most times, we never
run from it. We buckle down, we
embrace it, we fi nd a way.”
Portland crumbled in the fi nal
quarter, outscored 28-14.
Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press
Portland Trail Blazers forward Norman Powell, left, dribbles past Denver
Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo during the fi rst half of Game 6 of an NBA
basketball fi rst-round playoff series Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Portland.